Sunday, December 25, 2005

Thursday, December 22, 2005

"More than one commentator has mentioned that, as Pope Benedict XVI takes on his new task of being Pope for the whole Church, he brings with him much baggage from his past position as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The press and theologians all over the world have carefully scrutinized that baggage over these years. We all wish the new Pope well as he sorts out how the new role to which he has been called differs from the old he leaves behind. We want him to keep in mind that the new role has a pastoral claim on him that the old often hid." [emphasis mine]-Rembert G. Weakland, May 17, 2005What do you mean "we" cowboy? This former archbishop has more baggage than all of JFK airport! The man took money from his Catholic Diocese and gave it to a male lover. He hid this fact for approx. 20 years while lambasting orthodox Catholics such as Mother Angelica. Gimme a break.

Risen Christ sculpture sent to the side wall of the Transept, which is now blank. New sculpture will be added to other side wall.

Stations of the Cross will be put on new backing and spread around the Church, rather than on one spot on 1 side wall.

Addition built on the entrance of Church will mean a large narthex for chatty people to chat. Also, handicapped accessible bathroom added so people won't have to go to the basement, to go.

Old marble altar will be used to create a new Marian Shrine, where currently there is simply a statue of Mary.

Baldachino will be built over the tabernacle, making it more prominent.

I am overall very happy about this renovation. Although by the time this is all finished I will be married and living elsewhere, this is the parish I was baptized and confirmed in so it is important to me. I wish there had been a little more attention to the traditional look of the parish, but this renovation will still correct some of the mistakes of the huge expansion/renovation done in 1982. The Church then was made plain and bare and this renovation will add artwork that will correct this problem. The pipe organ and tile floor with marble should make it feel and sound more like a Church. The Crucifix is the best aspect of this project. The word Wreckovation was coined because of the changes done to parish Churches in the 70's and 80's but I think it is time to coin the word Correctovation to describe the latest changes being done.

While typing this post on such an upbeat note, I happen to turn on Drudge and Peggy Noonan is now talking about her new book John Paul the Great. This has been a good night.

Saturday, December 10, 2005

Newsday has a story about a situation in the wealthy neighborhood of Manhasset:"When the Rev. Nick Zientarski invoked the name of Jesus Christ during his traditional blessing of the official Christmas tree lighting in Manhasset last week, he had no idea he had signed on as a soldier in the culture wars over Christmas.Even as he spoke, the Roman Catholic priest said he could hear North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman angrily objecting behind him, "this is inappropriate." Then, Kaiman got up and told the crowd, "I just want to make it clear that this is in no way a religious ceremony."I met Fr. Zientarski when he was a seminarian on a retreat. He seemed like a solid JPII type of guy with a great attitude about things in the world and in the Church.

Saturday, December 03, 2005

3 older nuns were replaced as campus ministers by younger "peer ministers" while a 73 year old nun at one campus was kept in place. The 3 fired nuns are claiming age and gender discrimation. What is really going on is part of a larger story within this diocese and the Church in general. The job shifting really doesn't have to do with age and gender so much as orthodoxy and tradition. The Diocese is trying to reach the young college age students and keep their faith alive. The nuns, from interviews in the past, seem to be concerned with interfaith services, social justice and counseling. The Catholic teachings and traditions did not have a special place of value at least from I have read. The Diocese seems to want to focus on the type of ministries that have worked throughout the country, with a focus on Church traditions, sacraments and teachings. Although I am very sympathetic to anyone who loses their job, the 3 nuns will not be in danger of being homeless, as their orders are able to support them and they will find work. Although I am very interested in seeing this Diocese overcome its horrible past under Bishop McGann, I would hate to see the Church treat people as corporate America treats people. So, although this sounds like a good move on the part of Fr. Barr, I had hoped the nuns were treated fairly. One fact that I have not seen before confirms that the Church has been more than fair:

"Moreover, Dolan said, the bishop, who met with the sisters in September, offered to rescind their terminations, keep them on the diocesan payroll and the diocese would find them a job -- but not in campus ministries.""It's really not rescinding if you're not offering us a position within campus ministries," Riordan said. "This is the job we wanted to do and we didn't want to take away other people's jobs in the diocese."This sounds just like Bishop Murphy - he would rescind their terminations, keep paying them and find them other jobs. What could be more Christian than that? That is certainly not treating these nuns like "dirt" as one of the nuns claimed. It sounds like the Bishop bent over backward to help the nuns out, but they just couldn't take being replaced. I could understand the feelings involved, but ultimately this is going to help keep campus ministry in line with the New Evangelization.

"This culture of unmediated affluence is in some sense a dark side of the "American dream" removed from recourse to the moral and social teaching of the Church. In that sense, this particular issue ought to raise some thoughts among Catholics about why the Church in the Northeast is so dessicated compared to the Midwest and some parts of the South. Did the same comfort and affluence help to foster the general stifling of a distinctively Catholic culture and of evangelical zeal after the second generation or so of immigrants?"

While I applaud the schools for dropping the prom and trying to fight the culture of excess, I hope Kellenberg and Chaminade can come up with an alternative event. As Andrew Cusack comments on the post at the Shrine, students need to be taught how to behave at a formal event. For Chaminade men, a formal dance is especially important, what with being cooped up with no female students for 4 years! Anyway, both Kellenberg and Chaminade have Senior Proms that will continue - students from both schools go to a local nursing home and host a formal dinner/dance with the elderly residents. The students host the event and act as dates for the seniors. It is a popular event and I have yet to hear of any stories of excessive spending on food, limos or drink.

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

"Remember that every liturgy leaves chronological time and enters kairotic time. In chronos we say Good Morning; in liturgical kairos we say Dominus vobiscum. If we do not depart from the texts of the Church, then we stand a fair chance of taking the people with us into the never ending liturgy of the New Jerusalem. This is also why SLOW walking, talking and gestures are important. Same with hiding street clothes under sacred vesture. Ditto for the athletic shoes of the altar boys."I have attended very few Novus Ordo Masses where the above type of stuff is understood. Please go and read the entire post, it is very good.

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Tommorrow night is the Faith on Tap session featuring John Zmirak. Any locals in their 20's or 30's might wish to attend. Those from NYC can take the LIRR and get off at the Wantagh RR Station, and the Wantagh Inn is right across the street. This time Mr. Zmirak will speak on his book - The Bad Catholic's Guide to Good Living

Saturday, November 26, 2005

I created one of those Frappr! maps but not for Gen X Revert readers. It is for my Catholic Blog Directory and I am encouraging all Catholic bloggers to put their pin on the map so it will become a map of Catholic blogs.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

"Two months after former Roslyn Superintendent Frank Tassone implicated his longtime companion in an $11.2-million embezzlement scheme, the partner says Tassone would be violating "solemn" vows they made during a commitment ceremony in the Caribbean if he testifies against him."From Newsday, a list of stories on this scandal

The scandal at the Roslyn school district involved several figures stealing millions of dollars over the course of several years. The school district discovered assistant superintendent Pamela Gluckin had stolen some money and allowed her to pay it back and quietly retire. The school district did not tell anyone, not even the police for fear of scandal. Sound familiar Catholics? The scandal broke when an anonymous letter was sent indicating what had happened. It turned out a lot more money was stolen than the district realized. The scandal involved many people and shocked this very wealthy neighborhood. The people involved were absolutely selfish- Frank Tassone gave up information on his homosexual lover, the former assistant superintendent Pamela Gluckin gave up information on her own son (John McCormick) and niece (Debra Rigano), and the district auditor (Andrew Miller) tried to cover up the embezzlement by altering documents. He ended up losing his entire business. What were these people thinking? Is Long Island so filled with trash that important jobs can't even be filled with honest, decent people? Gluckin was the most conniving, even keeping records on all the rest so that when the crimes were uncovered she would be able to give up the others in exchange for a lighter sentence. It makes you wonder how the people in this very good and very wealthy school district could be so clueless about the character of the people they trusted. I mean I really don't find it too hard to tell when a person is a liar, a professional charmer, two-faced, etc... Newsday should do a story on the people who knew these crooks, worked with them, dealt with them to see how so many people could miss so many clues.

Monday, November 21, 2005

The chief engineer at the television station of the Diocese of Rockville Centre was arrested. He was accused of setting up a company to do the maintenance work around the station's tower and this work was never done. Telecare paid for this work for several years and the engineer, Joseph Kosik collected the money. Telecare said this was discovered after a routine audit that occurred soon after a new priest took over the station. This is the second time I have seen someone arrested after a "routine audit" after a leadership change. The last time was when Holy Family parish in Hicksville got a new pastor and two men who were long time employees of the parish were discovered to have used the parish's credit cards for all sorts of personal uses. The Diocese needs to keep good control over what goes in the seminary, the priesthood but also all the various apostolates.

This would probably also be a good time to ask whether it is worth having Telecare around. It is nice to have a place where people can see what is going on in the Diocese, but perhaps the network should stick to showing EWTN mostly and just produce a couple hours of local Catholic programming a week. EWTN has succeeded because it is not Catholic Lite, it is fully Catholic. Sadly, this cannot be said about Telecare.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

I heard about this a few days ago. I am not sure what to think of this, although I think that mentioning the seminary review is a bit of yellow journalism, surprising from Newsday quite frankly. (They are anti-Catholic bigots there but politically correct to the max.). I have briefly met Msgr. Schneider and don't really know much about him. I have seen changes at the seminary over the past few years that are rather good.

Newsday is starting a series of reports on the volunteer fire departments here on Long Island. This is sure to open a can of worms but this type of local reporting is what Newsday does best. The fire departments are cherished and act as more than just a fire department, they are also am important social network. It is good to know you have neighbors who will come to your aid when you need them, and vice versa. Long Island is supposed to be the largest area covered almost exclusively by volunteer firemen. Many of the volunteers work for pay in the NYC fire departments. The system works well, but there are some growing questions about the budgets and ability of the departments to handle things compared to how we would do with paid firefighters. Nobody here wants to say we should get rid of the volunteer system as it is too much a hallmark of Long Island, and the volunteers are great people. I would hope Long Island can create a paid system, perhaps one for each county, but still maintain a large system of volunteers. As any Long Islander can testify, the volunteer firefighters here are some of the best men and women you will meet.

One thing I read in the article that I have also heard in the Knights of Columbus is the difference between the older volunteers and the younger volunteers. The older people ask what can I do for this community, and the younger ask what can this do for me.

More nonsense from the "Religion of Peace". Instead of falsely accusing Christians of things and then committing acts of violence shouldn't these people be doing something for the survivors of that horrible earthquake over there?

"I did not have sex with that woman. Ms. Lewinsky"Hofstra University started their presidential conference on William Jefferson Clinton today. They will study his presidency for 3 days. In the end, all of Clinton's accomplishments as president, and there were some, will be forgotten and he will be remembered as a man of no integrity, a liar. Years from now, after he is dead, he will still be known as a liar. That is what he is. I do believe Clinton/Gore did some good things in their 8 years, especially in attempting to make the government more efficient and in keeping things fiscally straight. They also turned their party to the middle just as Reagan turned his to the right. Obviously the shape this country is in now is not where we were during the 1990's and we could use a little of the direction we had in those days. But I am sure there are men and women who can lead this country in this direction with integrity and honesty. I wish people who run for office, or lead companies would at least attempt to be honest.

I don't usually pay attention to boycotts, but The Catholic League gives reason # 2,456,891 to hate Walmart. This Big-Box Mart store is famous for low wages, treating employees like crap, and for forcing Mom and Pop stores to close down.

"Oh Big Box Mart, look what you’ve done to me,He’s gotta start all over now, at the age of 53…

Update: 10/10/05 My mother sent an email to Wal-Mart - the Fogelman lackey as per The Catholic League. She received an email reply saying they believe the original response sent to the woman who complained was entirely inappropriate.

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

I went food shopping tonight at the local supermarket. My mother asked me to get a few items for the parish food pantry for Thanksgiving. This is a great thing the Church does now. When I was young, canned food drives for the poor were big, as canned food can be stored without spoiling and is relatively cheap. This led to lots of cans of lima beans and peas being collected. The ironic thing is that most people who are in need around here would have food stamps that would help to pay for these things, and the canned food is cheaper than most things. The really expensive stuff that can't be purchased with food stamps such as paper towels, toilet paper, etc.. would usually not be collected. The system our parish and many other local parishes use today is better - the items that are needed are printed in the bulletin most weeks. The items change from time to time as the needs vary. People can bring the items to Church and put them at each entrance into big wooden boxes, made by parishioners. The Church has a constant supply of household items that are truly needed by people. The bags of items at each entrance also remind people as they are going in and out of Church that people are in need, and everyone is uplifted a bit when they see how much stuff has been donated. Our parish helps out some local families that are in need and every once in awhile some volunteers with a truck come by and pick up the rest for one of the local shelters, or pantries in other parishes that are less wealthy. The system seems to work well, at times the bulletin will even ask that certain items not be donated as they have enough to last awhile.

"Cummo, 25, graduated from Chaminade High School in Mineola and has a biology degree from Nassau Community College. Might that be why was he the last guy picked when they chose up sides? "He's got glasses and a unibrow and he wears socks with his sandals," says East Meadow's Matt Serra, Cummo's Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor and a UFC veteran. "But he's very deceiving. When it comes down to it, he's a very good fighter."I am into macho rough and tumble stuff as much as the next guy (as long as I am not involved) but Ultimate Fighting just seems wrong.

At the talk at Hofstra last night, one science professor mentioned Heisenberg's Principle of Uncertainty and said something like Heisenberg misinterpreted the implications of this. I wasn't sure what he meant but I remember a physics professor telling our class that he actually came to believe in God after learning the Heisenberg Principle. I don't remember exactly why - but this page has all kinds of info on Heisenberg.

I saw a talk last night at Hofstra University that featured Archbishop Joseph M. Zycinski, Ph.D. of Lublin, Poland. He spoke on "The Evolutionary Genesis of the Human Person in the Evolving Universe." He was only able to answer a few questions and then had to rush off to Newark airport, because apparently he had been summoned to Rome. He seemed to not want to talk about Intelligent Design at all, but one of the young people there asked about it after he had left. Bishop Murphy was there and tried to answer a couple of questions but he really couldn't speak much on science and religion as that is not his field. Anyway, one gentleman said that the randomness of the universe seemed to preclude miracles and the existence of a God. He cited the tilt of the earth's axis as being just right for life, the distance from the sun, etc... but I have seen these very same things mentioned as things that point to a God.

I understand Zycinski also spoke at the seminary on Sunday. I think Bishop Murphy is really using his influence to get some good speakers to our seminary, as I have noticed both Fr. Groeschel and Cardinal Dulles gave talks there over the past couple of years. This is quite the change from the days when Fr. Richard McBrien was invited there. Bishop Murphy continues to impress...

Friday, November 04, 2005

Dr. Thomas Woods Jr. gave a good talk Wednesday at the Nassau Community College Center for Catholic Studies. He spoke on his book "How The Catholic Church Built Western Civilization". It started with a necessary reminder of the great contribution of the Church to science. The factoid that stood out was that 37 craters of the moon are named after Jesuit priests. Woods connected the Christian belief in an ordered universe following natural law with the advancement of the scientific method. He spoke briefly on economics, universities, and Catholic charity. I didn't get a chance to ask why he didn't seem to include Catholic contribution to Western Literature in his book. There were a lot of high school students in the audience and I wonder what they thought of the talk. I don't remember being interested in Catholicism as much when I was their age, and don't think there would have been as many opportunities to hear good, solid talks such as Dr. Woods'.

Someone from the Diocese of Rockville Centre looked at Gen X Revert. That could be bad, although their visit time was 0 seconds so maybe I have nothing to worry about. In all seriousness, there have been a few times when I have been surprised to be told by someone that they read my blog. Gen X Revert is anonymous so how do they find out I am me? Anyway, it always shakes me up a bit because I always think about what I write and whether it was uncharitable, stupid, wrong, or mean. I always have to remind myself to watch what I write, mainly because my sense of humor is sharp. Please keep in mind that my blog is just a hobby, a personal thing and if I ever write anything that strikes you as unChristian (not just sharp criticism, etc..) please let me know.

Staying The Course With Benedict XVI in a Post John Paul II Church: An Intellectual Celebration of Two Great Catholic Historical Figures

Notes:

Cardinal Dulles' talk was mainly a rundown of JPII's Pontificate focused on his attempts to correctly put Vatican II into action. He pointed out the 1985 Synod of Bishops spoke of interpreting the Council in light of tradition, something that was frequently missing in the 1970's-1980's. He noted the Pope's first encyclical Redemptor Huminis striked the opening chord of JPII's Papacy: that all salvific work of the Church is tied to the rights of man. This made Christian Humanism the theme of the Papacy, that freedom is tied to truth and reason. If freedom is misused, then man becomes a slave to sin, which in turn diminishes freedom. This is all based on my notes, so please excuse any mistakes or misinterpretations. Cardinal Dulles said a major part of JPII's Legacy will be the Theology of the Body, that marriage images the union of Christ and the Church.

Fr. Massa gave a good response which focused on John Paul II's governance of the Church. He focused on 3 main areas that he felt should receive more attention under Benedict XVI.

The secularization of the religious communities, Catholic hospitals and schools that continued unabated 1978-2005. He emphasized that just wishing that dissenting communities "die off" would not suffice, but that unfruitful renewal processes not be repeated.

Episcopal Collegiality - this has never been better according to Fr. Massa, but it seems to be effective only when Rome is behind the Bishops. In areas such as public policy and liturgical uniformity there were failings. His most interesting idea to me was that Bishops were not being held accountable through fraternal correction. As has been mentioned on the internet, no bishop is willing to publicly criticize another, even when it is necessary. Fr. Massa suggested that the role of Primates and Metropolitan Archbishops be increased. This is something I remember being mentioned around the height of the sexual abuse scandals in the priesthood, where the idea of a Primate for America be established.

John Paul II did not write an encyclical on Liturgy early in his Papacy, and Fr. Massa asked why? This is an area he obviously felt should have received great attention and hopefully it will under Benedict XVI.

Monday, October 24, 2005

Sunday, October 23, 2005

I didn't realize that Brother Hoagland, principal of Kellenberg High School, was on The O'Reilly Factor discussing the cancellation of the senior prom. O'Reilly (Chaminade class of '67) interrupted Hoagland (Chaminade class of '78) a few times but overall was pretty tame. The video and transcript are both available here.

"As for the principal of the school, Brother Kenneth Hoagland, he's worse than I'd realized. Hoagland has refused to meet with upset parents, on the grounds that he's got nothing more to say about the prom. Yet this morning, there he was, basking in his 15 minutes on Good Morning America. What a creep. Is my criticism of Father Kenneth "a direct hit on the Catholic Church"? Only if his behavior is typical of church leaders. And I can't believe it is. "Carlson's bowtie must be too tight because he is way off here.

Staying The Course With Benedict XVI in a Post John Paul II Church: An Intellectual Celebration of Two Great Catholic Historical Figures

I was able to attend part of this conference of the Nassau Community College Center for Catholic Studies on Saturday morning. I heard Cardinal Avery Dulles speak and Fr. James Massa give a response. The topic was "The Legacy of Pope John Paul II". Fr. Fessio was unable to deliver his talk since he had to stay in Naples, Fla. at Ave Maria for the impending hurricane. I had to leave before Kenneth Whitehead gave his talk which was "The Prospects of a Benedict XVI Pontificate". I attempted to take some notes which I will post but have been out of practice for quite some time. Perhaps the many Kellenberg and Chaminade students who attended took better notes. (Some of the brothers and priests from these schools were there, including Brother Kenneth Hoagland of Senior Prom fame). Overall, this was an excellent conference and it was very well put together by Dr. Joseph Varacalli, one of the most gracious men I am lucky enough to know. His new book called The Catholic Experience in America will be published around 11/30/05.

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

I just got home from work and heard some horrible news!!! A family I know has 3 sons who are priests and one of them killed himself. Apparently he was being treated for depression. This is a great family, this is just awful.

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Hey, my 9th grade religion teacher is on CNN.com! This story is still making the rounds of the MSM and the blogosphere and it is facilitating some interesting discussion. The CNN article says the Kellenberg Principal sent the letter out announcing the cancelling of the prom, but actually the letter was a response to a parent's inquiry. It was co-signed by Brother Hoagland and Fr. Eichner, who is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors of this quiet little organization.

I went to see the Long Island Philharmonic at St. Agnes Cathedral. They were performing Faure's Requiem in honor of Pope John Paul the Great on the anniversary of his election. The concert was to honor JPII's commitment to interfaith and ecumenical dialogue.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Kellenberg High will not host a senior prom this year -

I first posted this story when I read it in Newsday and The Curt Jester, Open Book and Relapsed Catholic picked up on it and gave it a boost. The story deserves wide circulation. Ray Keating from Newsday writes about it here. I saw mostly positive reactions to this decision in print, and in the blogosphere, including from a couple of high school students, one a Kellenberg student. I think if the school can host a prom alternative it would be best, but overall you have to love the leadership for their, well, leadership. The prom culture is sick and as Amy Welborn pointed out, the jock culture should be examined next. The letter the school posts on their website is in PDF form and since it is a must read, here it is in regular old, html form. Note, the school already addressed the jock culture as it no longer sponsored a hockey team either. Some good excerpts:

"Long Island, known in some circles as Wrong Island, is an alcohol culture. It startsearly and never ends. Because of our affluence and arrogance everything has to beexaggerated bigger, better, more, over the top. Our students do not learn how to drinksocially. Their goal is to get roaring drunk as quickly as possible and boast about it thenext day. The incidence of binge drinking is rising on college campuses. Long Island hasmore than its share of what is an American flaw we eschew moderation. Here is theirony: we decided some years ago that a youth reached “majority” at eighteen years ofage for everything (marriage, contracts, etc.) except for drinking! He and she can getmarried, buy a home, have a child, but legally cannot have a drink at their own wedding.Europe does not have that adolescent problem of drinking. Why can’t we be moderate?"

"Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, say the Scriptures."

"Wealth is a wonderful thing. It is a sharing in the fmits of God’s creation. Becominga millionaire can be a spiritually enriching experience, provided you answer twoquestions correctly: how did you get it, and what are you doing with it."

"Our Lordship over all creation is not without moral consequences. As with time, so with wealth we will be called to account for how we have used them. The current culture of the prom on Long Island does not represent to us a proper Christian use of wealth."

It is good to see a school taking a stand against the prom culture, drinking culture, jock culture, vanity culture that are all out of control, and not just here on Long Island. There is a good news story from a local ABC affiliate that is available on video here. Click Eyewitness News Video under the sidebar. The entire text of the letter is also available on the sidebar also.

Monday, October 10, 2005

"If you don't go see Bono, the terrorists win"

Review of U2's opening night at Madison Square Garden in today's Newsday. I was there, just as I was there at opening night in Jersey a few months ago. With all the talk of a bombing plot for New York City subways I ventured out on a LIRR train and ate a nice leisurely dinner at Houlihans in Penn Station. Vertigo was played twice in Jersey and was a show highlight for me, since I was never much of a fan of U2 at the time and didn't know too many songs. This time, Vertigo was played once, and it wasn't anything special. The show opener Friday was City of Blinding Lights and it rocked. They also did Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, with a faster, funkier beat. The whole crowd sung most of the song, and it felt like a revival. Stuck in A Moment was dedicated to that guy from INXS who killed himself, Michael Hutchens (sp?). They did Miss Sarejevo which I am told they rarely do, and it sounded good. Highlights for me were Pride (In the Name of Love) and Elevation. I have been converted to a U2 fan!

The quake shook the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where bin Laden is believed to be hiding. However, authorities at this point have no information indicating he's been injured or killed, said a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the information's sensitivity."I certainly hope the US has not slacked off in hunting down Bin Laden and associates. I have read that Bin Laden's capture is not a priority because he is so isolated, but he still is responsible for killing thousands of my neighbors.

Saturday, October 01, 2005

"In celebration and memory of Pope John Paul II’s life, the Long Island Philharmonic will perform a free concert on October 16 at St. Agnes Cathedral here at 7:30 p.m. One hundred musicians — an orchestra and chorus — will perform Requiem composed by Gabriel Fauré, a French composer who lived from 1845 to 1924."

Friday, September 30, 2005

"School administrators, reacting to what they called a "sick" prom culture that was out of control, announced in a letter this month to parents that senior prom was canceled.

"Basically, it has become an event in American culture that has all the trappings of excess," said school principal Brother Kenneth Hoagland. "It is not consistent with our philosophy as a Catholic school."Last year, the school appealed to parents and stopped 46 Kellenberg seniors from spending $20,000 to rent a house for a post-prom weekend in the Hamptons""Hoagland said they have invited students to come up with alternate ideas for a school-sponsored event that are consistent with the goals of a Christian education."

--(Brother Hoagland was my 9th grade religion teacher at a different high school.) I hope the school can come up with a different end of the year event and perhaps start a trend. Proms have become ridiculous affairs here on Long Island and maybe this is a good first step to changing things for the better. The school, Kellenberg, has links to the text of two prom letters on their homepage.

Go read the letters the school sent out as they contain a good amount of detail (Adobe required). The September letter is a must read!!

Thursday, September 29, 2005

Saturday, September 24, 2005

Evil people are everywhere unfortunately. After all the hurricane related scams people should be extra careful in dealing with emails and phone calls that seem authentic. I just got an email from "support @ paypal" that says my account may be suspended unless I go through a series of identity verification pages. Of course, I have never had a paypal account. Dante would have to add an exta layer of Hell for email scammers and spammers.

Update: Went to Paypal's site and found you can forward them scams to spoof@paypal.com

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Don't forget to check out Catholicmatch! I got an email saying someone had purchased a membership after going there from here. I decided to put up the ad for them after being invited to do so. After all, this is the site where I met the future Mrs. Revert (that is not us in the picture below)

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

We had John Zmirak speak at Faith on Tap this past March and I have been looking forward to the release of "The Bad Catholics Guide to Good Living" ever since. I do the website for Faith on Tap so please check itout and if you are local, come to the next session this Monday night.

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Student Arrested After Pilot Uniform Found"A university student from Egypt was ordered held without bond after prosecutors said they found a pilot's uniform, chart of Memphis International Airport and a DVD titled "How an Airline Captain Should Look and Act" in his apartment.

The FBI is investigating whether Mahmoud Maawad, 29, had any connection to terrorists. He is awaiting trial on charges of wire fraud and fraudulent use of a Social Security number.

Maawad, who is in the United States illegally, told the judge during a hearing Thursday that he is studying science and economics at the University of Memphis."

Why isn't this story being given greater coverage? How soon we forget September 11th.

Priest Pricks Children With Pin"The Catholic Diocese of Austin is investigating after a priest called about 15 children to come forward during evening Mass so he could prick them with an unsterilized pin to demonstrate the pain Jesus suffered during crucifixion. ""What I was trying to teach them is that suffering is a part of life," said the Rev. Arthur Michalka, 78, on Friday. "

This priest needs to be removed immediately under the Charter provisions. Talk about inappropriate behavior with children! And during the Mass? I really think there is something seriously wrong with this man - this is not just a lapse in judgement, this is sick. I wonder if this priest had to take one of those courses all Church volunteers are taking?

Remember the fuss over Michael S. Rose's Goodbye, Good Men!? It seems that the bestseller was read by some important people because the questions of the visitation of the seminaries seem like they are in line with the book's premise. Via Rocco at Whispers in the Loggia. I especially like the part that says all priest-graduates of the past three years are to be interviewed. These priests may be more open to telling the whole truth if they don't have to worry about getting to graduation.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Oh God - Matty Molnar, a seminarian at Mundelein was killed last night.

From strivingforholiness in my comment box - "One of the seminarians you linked to several weeks ago, Matty Molnar, was killed in a car accident last night..three other seminarians were also hurt, one in critical condition. Please pray for Matty's soul, his family and friends and the other young men who were injured..."The comments on Matty's blog mention this tragic news. I can't find a news story on it, but the seminarian blogs linked to on Matty's blog mention this horrible story. For all those who came here who knew Matty I am so sorry.

Here is the Newsday archive of Mepham High School stories, although Newsday does not print the names of the 3 . My concern is not just where are these guys but has anything really changed?? Do schools monitor anything better than they did before this incident? Will the next football players to sodomize or beat get the community support as these jocks did (at first) or will the town actually see them as criminals to be punished? Do coaches get supervised any better today, either here on Long Island or elsewhere? Are there still people out there that see (men's) sports as so important that it takes precedence over education?

"...Long Islanders are far too familiar with the case of three boys being sodomized by their teammates at Mepham High School in what people continue to call a "hazing" ritual. The fact is, these boys were not being "hazed," they were being sodomized. However, this difficult word and our inability to confront the "football machine" have distracted us from dealing with the reality of the problem."

Mother Angelica fought hard to keep the bishops from controlling EWTN. For awhile the bishops and EWTN tried to work together, with the bishops producing programming and EWTN airing them, but EWTN rejected much of what the bishops had to offer. The bishop's conference wants to make ecumenical programming, and programming that presents all sides of an issue of Catholicism. The result is watered down and pretty much useless for anyone wanting to learn Catholicism, or for anyone wanting to devote their life to becoming a saint. EWTN wants to present Catholicism to those who wish to learn and those who want the whole teaching without dissent or question. You can argue with style and approach to Catholic programming, but I can see what the bishops would have done to EWTN had they had their way because of the local television station of this Diocese, Telecare. Telecare bills itself as "ecumenical programming" and they don't show too many Catholic programs. It does have local Mass, including Masses in Spanish, which are important. But overall, the network does not see its mission as teaching, defending or promoting Catholicism. I don't like any of their programming and when I see Frank Field, a local weatherman, doing a show on health, I wonder why Telecare is airing this?? Basically I see Telecare as a waste of money and I think it would be better for the diocese to produce a few hours of weekly programming that is Catholic and of local interest and show EWTN the rest of the time. Show the spanish Mass, the Mass from St. Agnes, Bishop Murphy's show, the Good News show that highlights stuff around the Diocese and leave the rest to EWTN.

Yesterday I went to the Friends of EWTN conference at Kellenberg Memorial High School. Fr. Pacwa and Fr. Mullady each gave a talk. Then Fr. Pacwa spoke a bit on Mother Angelica and EWTN. He had a galley (sp?) copy of Raymond Arroyo's new book - Mother Angelica The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles and talked about much that was in the book. It was so interested that I stopped at Barnes & Noble on the way home and purchased a copy. Some interesting things from reading some of the book, not all:

I read the first two chapters on Mother A's early childhood. The writing is good but there is not much detail because she was so solitary a figure there doesn't seem to be many people who knew her enough to be interviewed.

She knew pain and hurt well, which probably helped her spiritually and makes her much more down to earth and real than many of her critics.

She was one of the first drum majorettes in her high school!! There is even a picture to prove it!

Her father was a womanizer and all around jerk and her mother was not stable to say the least. Mother A. had to be the adult in the house from the age of 11 on.

Bishop Foley had a good relationship with the network until his inexplicable rule that Mass could not be said ad orientem, later amended to say Mass could not be televised ad orientem. This hurt the relationship between the bishop and the network, and Mass at the Shrine is still said Ad Orientem for the nuns, and not televised.

The bishops wanted to have their own network and there was some competition between EWTN and the bishops' network. The two entities worked together in an uneasy partnership that ended when EWTN rejected the style and substance of the bishops' programming. EWTN fought the good fight against bland, watered down, and dissenting content and ultimately won.

Deacon Bill Steltemeier was a wealthy lawyer who is as crafty as a fox, and helped the network immensely.

The Sister Servants of the Eternal Word were co-founded by Mother A. but somehow ended up completely estranged from her and EWTN and the Poor Clare Sisters. Either I skimmed this part too quickly or the author really doesn't explain this too much. He said the Sister Servants refused to be interviewed for the book. There seems to be more to this story. Their website doesn't even mention Mother A. even though she saw this community as the hands-on extension of her comtemplative order that could do the work of assisting the network.

The Cardinal Mahony affair shows what Fr. Pacwa said in his talk: Mother A. was wrong to say what she said, according to canon law. But it was a 17 second comment, off the cuff, and typical of her style of speaking. Mahony became OBSESSED with Mother A. and how she dared to question his authority. He really comes across as a creep and it is interesting to read Raymond Arroyo's repeated attempts to interview him for his side of the story. All requests were ignored so when he saw him in person he asked him about it, and Mahony simply brushed past him saying "That's all ancient history now". Wasn't that the bishop's general attitude to the scandals of the priesthood also? "It's all ancient history now?"

I went to the traditional latin Mass today, and the Gospel was "the greatest commandment" quoted above. The Gospel at the N.O. Masses today was "Forgive thy enemies", both of these messages were tough ones for September 11th.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Yeah Me!

I received Holy Communion at a local parish while kneeling this Sunday. The Extraordinary Minister came over to the first row and I was able to receive on my tongue on the kneeler, albeit not from the priest.

I will be attending a talk by Fr. Mitch Pacwa and Fr. Andrew Apostoli this Saturday. This will be at a conference put together by Friends of EWTN. This conference was supposed to happen in April but had to be cancelled at the time due to Pope John Paul the Great's sickness and death.

My blog has had a surge in visitors, apparently due to searches for "caterina bonci", the Catholic religion teacher who claims she was fired for being too sexy.

Peggy Noonan, Lee Iacocca, Nicholas Sparks, George Weigel, Jim Cavaziel, and Thomas Monaghan all have printed blurbs praising Raymond Arroyo's new book on Mother Angelica. As if that is not enough, the Angry Twins are calling it awesome! I have to get this book to add to my library. I also can't wait to see the book reviewed in the National Catholic (sic) Reporter

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

"More than 300 New York firefighters joined the battle yesterday as raging infernos broke out across this nearly empty city, straining an already exhausted New Orleans Fire Department.""FDNY teams said helping New Orleans was the least they could do.I know there was a bunch of them up there for us on 9/11," said Brett Asher of Engine 96 in the Bronx. "

Monday, September 05, 2005

A Good Sign

The Long Island Catholic has long accepted ads from a local Jesuit retreat house that holds zen sittings. The paper has even printed an article on the practice of zen. Since that article was published on July 13th Catholics have been writing (and the paper to their credit has been printing) many dissenting letters that question the wisdom of promoting zen. It is good to see there are those who can see the problem with promoting non-Catholic prayer methods while a majority of Catholics don't even bother to pray the Mass on Sundays.

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Let me say this: nothing that is going on in New Orleans surprises me one bit, not the rapes, the murders, the stealing, or the heroic rescues and sacrifices. There are good people doing all they can to help, and bad people doing all they can to hurt. This is the way people are in everyday life, but perhaps people are seeing that more clearly as they watch the news.

A full page in the NY Daily News encourages New Yorkers to give all they can to help by pointing out:

"[After September 11th]....residents of the Gulf region reponded immediately, sending aid from corporations and schoolchildren alike. In fact, Louisiana's 'Bucks for Fire Trucks' campaign was the first to provide New York City with a new fire truck - The Spirit of Louisiana- in December, 2001"

Saturday, September 03, 2005

"Though one might be tempted to say that we have lost everything, we have not. Instead we have rediscovered the depth of our friends love and been reminded that family, children and life are all that is really important and necessary.

I have received countless e-mails and voice messages at the network inquiring about our safety, and I want to assure you that we are fine. Dear Mother Angelica and her sisters in their kindness allowed us to stay in the guesthouse at her monastery in Hanceville, Alabama when we could find no rooms elsewhere."From RaymondArroyo.com

via Dom at Bettnet, who was recently married and promoted to editor of Catholic World Report! Double congrats.

Many people are comparing and contrasting the recovery efforts in NYC for Sept. 11th and the current ones in New Orleans. I have to say while the contrast is pretty severe, the destruction in the south is much worse than in NYC. We are talking about a whole city being wiped out plus many other coastal towns. Still, the response has been slow and ineffective so far. Many of us will NEVER forget that the Knights of Columbus pledged a million dollars for the families of firemen and policemen who perished on 9/11 and the checks were delivered (mostly by hand via insurance agents) sooner than almost any other aid.

"The movement's leader, Lech Walesa, has often credited John Paul with inspiring the birth of the movement with his historic 1979 visit to his homeland, during which he celebrated Masses that electrified the nation and subtly criticized the communist regime."

Help out your fellow Americans and donate to Catholic Charities. Long Island Catholics can donate at Church this Sunday. Instapundit has a list of charities that are worth donating to. Technorati has a round up of posts on Katrina Blog Relief Day:flood aid

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

Update to my list of Catholic bloggers in Louisiana - Humanae Vitae by Grant, a seminarian who was evacuated from New Orleans. Then there is GBN from Old Taylor Outlook who is in Mississippi which is also being hit.

Monday, August 29, 2005

"Due to a new seminary policy, I will no longer be able to maintain the blog."

Same goes to Cor ad Cor Loquens. I don't know the reason behind the seminary prohibiting seminarians from writing for publications, including blogs, but I suppose it may be a sensible policy. I do like to read blogging seminarians though so here is a current list from The Catholic Blog Directory:

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Hiroshima

Once again, props go to The National Catholic Register for its intelligent and informative content. This is the best national Catholic paper by far. First, Tim Drake's writing on World Youth Day, available on Young and Catholic, is printed in the paper making it available to many who don't regularly read blogs. Second, an article on Nick Cannon's video about his mother reconsidering abortion brings that powerful story to people who don't regularly watch MTV or follow the Rap/Hip Hop scene. Third, the paper printed an article on Hiroshima that provoked some angry and disturbed responses from readers. The current editorial points out the condemnations of the dropping of the atomic bombs from such orthodox Catholics as Fulton Sheen, JP II and Paul VI. Writings that condemn American action as immoral and unacceptable would be expected from liberal rags such as Commonweal and NCReporter. The National Catholic Register spells out some hard truths that don't sit easy with many of the paper's readers and since it is fully orthodox and somewhat conservative, writings that condemn American action cut more deeply. The paper has always had the best columnists and editorials around and I am glad to see the NCR is continuing its mission of teaching the faith, even when it upsets those who support the paper.

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

From an email:

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The parish wants to rent space for 12 disabled adults for one year. Some parents claim they were not told of this plan, but it is clear in the article that there were two meetings and an announcement in the parish bulletin.

I just updated my Catholic Blog Directory after some time of neglect. I apologize to all who emailed requests to be added. My wish is for this process to be automated. There are several lists of Catholic Blogs out there, all with some good qualities. St. Blog's needs to get together and create a master list that is totally up to date and can be updated by many people. Check out some of the Catholic Blogs from outside the USA:

I have a relative who is dying of cancer. A nun, a priest, and local parishioners bring him Holy Communion. Local Knights of Columbus have been doing chores, bringing food and visiting almost daily. Other people are pitching in to assist the spouse.

Meanwhile, Msgr. Eugene Clark is checking in and out of a hotel with his Daisy-Dukes wearing secretary. He owns a house in the Hamptons. Think about how many Catholics are dying right now in the Archdiocese of New York - how many could Clark have been visiting if he were not busy traveling to St. Bart's and the Hamptons with his secretary? How many elderly and naive Catholics have donated money to St. Patrick's Cathedral thinking it actually would go towards something worthwhile??

About Me

A Catholic school lifer, who reverted to the faith some years ago. Member of Generation X, I have various interests but blog here only about Catholic stuff. I grew up on Long Island (Diocese of Rockville Centre) and still live here with my wife and son. I welcome information on good local Catholic / Christian events.